Multimedia Programming Using Max/MSP and TouchDesigner

Patrik Lechner

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781849699716
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Computer Science General
• Index: Computer Science

Max 6 and TouchDesigner are both high-level visual programming languages based on the metaphor of connecting computational objects with patch cords. This guide will teach you how to design and build high-quality audio-visual systems in Max 6 and TouchDesigner, giving you competence in both designing and using these real-time systems. In the first few chapters, you will learn the basics of designing tools to generate audio-visual experiences through easy-to-follow instructions aimed at beginners and intermediate. Then, we combine tools such as Gen, Jitter, and TouchDesigner to work along with Max 6 to create 2D and 3D visualizations, this book provides you with tutorials based on creating generative art synchronized to audio. By the end of the book, you will be able to design and structure highly interactive, real-time systems.

Multimedia Programming Using Max/MSP and TouchDesigner

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Table of Contents

Multimedia Programming Using Max/MSP and TouchDesigner

Credits

About the Author

About the Reviewers

www.PacktPub.com

Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more

Why subscribe?

Free access for Packt account holders

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the example code

Downloading the color images of this book

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Getting Started with Max

Understanding the basic concepts of Max

Modular basis for expressions

When to use Max

Max – the message domain

Max Signal Processing

Jitter, Matrix, and video processing

Jitter data format

Summary

Exercises

2. Max Setup and Basics

Setting things up

Getting help

The Max-integrated help system

The forums

Externals

Other resources

Setting up Max

The audio status window

Setting up MIDI

Other preferences

Object defaults

File preferences

Installing externals

Other setup tips

Organizing finished code

Abstractions

Extras

Clippings

Packages

Projects

Prototypes

Basic Max patching and GUI

Objects in Max

Arguments

Attributes

Creating our Hello World program

Dissection and construction

Contents

The [print] object

The message box

The MSP-Hello World

A quick overview of GUI

Summary

3. Advanced Programming Techniques in Max

Introducing the synthesizer example

Initializing a patcher

Excursus of microscopic timing and message ordering

A bpatcher for MIDI input

Sending and receiving data

The #n notation

Collections of data

More message box magic

Structuring our patches

The pattr family – a communication system

Timing in Max

The event priority

Debugging

Smart ways to debug

The debugger

Optimizing

Scripting and the this patcher

Summary

4. Basic Audio in Max/MSP

Basic audio principles

Audio synthesis

Amplitude modulation

Ring modulation versus amplitude modulation

Tremolo

Feedback

Frequency modulation

Controlling FM

Feedback

Phase modulation

The poly~ object

Managing instances and patcher loading

Polyphony and voice allocation

Additive synthesis

Discrete Summation Formulae

Subtractive synthesis and filtering

The classic approach

Building an equalizer

The filter theory: an introduction

Waveshaping

Sampling and audio file playback

Mixing and signal routing

Conventional mixing

Summary

5. Advanced Audio in Max/MSP

More sampling

Granular sampling

FX

Stutter

Dynamics

Noise gate

Working with expanders

Limiter

Compressor

Reverberation

Poly as a cascade

Convolution

Taking a room's impulse response

FFT

Drawing a signal's spectrum

Simple convolution

An FFT filter

Spectral reverb and freezing

Recording and playback of FFT data

Transient detection

Sample-accurate sequencing

Summary

6. Low-level Patching in Gen

Introducing Gen

The Gen workspace

Exploring the differences between Max and Gen

Parameters through param

Buffers and data

Subpatchers and abstraction inside Gen

Genexpr and the CodeBox

Efficiency

Examples

The Karplus-Strong synthesis

A mass-spring system

Waveguides and scattering junctions

Further reading

Summary

7. Video in Max/Jitter

Inputting and outputting Jitter data

Getting started with the Jitter matrix

Matrix processing

Feedback and delay

Using OpenGL in Jitter

Geometry manipulation

Shaders and FX

Summary

8. Max for Live

Introducing the fundamentals of Max for Live

MIDI in/out

Audio in/out

Synchronization

Parameters and saving

The Live API

An example device – a parameter modulator

Summary

9. Basic Visualization Using TouchDesigner

The need for TouchDesigner

How to get help

Basics and UI of TouchDesigner

A scripting prologue

Hello World

COMPs

TOPs

CHOPs

SOPs

MATs

DATs

The operators

The viewer flag

The clone immune flag

The cooking flag

The bypass flag

The lock flag

The viewer active flag

The parameter dialog

Wires and links

The select OP

A closer look at timeslicing, CHOPs, and exporting

Panes

Components – structuring a project

Where am I?

Creating our first UI

Hierarchy

Abstraction

Palette

Local

Clones

What's happening in root?

Assign a text editor to TouchDesigner

Summary

10. Advanced Visualization Using TouchDesigner

The basic audio-reactive video

A 2D composting example

Replicator COMP

The me.digits expression as a way to individualize replicants

Connecting Max and TD

A component for lots of movies

Converting between OP families

Dealing with time

The Animation component

Using the animation COMP for nonlinear purposes

Synchronization

SMPTE LTC

Audio ramp

UDP

Introducing 3D rendering

SOPs

Assigning a material

The data inside SOPs

Summary

11. 3D Rendering and Examples

Interactive and non-procedural tools

The geometry viewer

Grouping by selection

The Modeler

The Geo COMP

Instancing

Camera, light, and shading

Cameras

A camera path

Cut and blend

Fog and FOV

Lights and shadows

Materials

Transparency

Render passes

Render picking and 3D GUIs

Examples of procedural modeling

A speaker

Structure

Modeling

Rendering

A waterfall plot

Structure

Modeling

A fractal texture

Modeling

Liquid

Structure

Modeling

Rendering

A house in a landscape

Structure

Modeling

Rendering

Summary

12. Connecting Our Software to the World

Analog synths and control voltage

Arduino and microcontrollers

An Arduino example project

Hardware requirements for the Arduino project

The Arduino code

Pure Data

Multi-touch screens

The TUIO protocol

Interfacing other programs

Open Sound Control (OSC)

MIDI

Keystrokes and simulated user activity

Audio and video

Multispeaker setups

Exhibitions

Exporting an application

Customizing an application

Collaborative work

Summary

Index

Multimedia Programming Using Max/MSP and TouchDesigner

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Table of contents

• Multimedia Programming Using Max/MSP and TouchDesigner